Kurdish-Iranian party reveals details of clashes with IRGC
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) - A Kurdish-Iranian party on Monday confirmed the death of two Peshmerga after Iranian guards ambushed them on the border with the Kurdistan Region.
A group of Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) fighters, the country's most senior Kurdish party, were attacked by Iranian guards Saturday night in the Piranshahr area, northwest of the country.
PKDI announced that a veteran fighter, Yaqob Moradi, 33, and a relatively new Peshmerga, Hemin Molannejad, 23, were killed in the clashes.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran, also known as Sepah in Farsi, announced on Sunday that it killed a group of Peshmerga in Piranshahr area without mentioning the name of the party.
Iran claimed that it killed two "anti-revolutionaries" and arrested four injured men.
The Kurdish group claimed they killed four Iranian soldiers and wounded six, but their Washington representative denied any of their members had been injured or arrested.
Arash Saleh, the Washington Representative for the PDKI, in a phone interview with Kurdistan 24 denied Iran's claim regarding the detention or wounding of Kurdish fighters.
He added that the PDKI has been sending members back to Kurdish cities and villages to connect with locals and raise awareness.
"But since Iran has no tolerance for any civil action, they ceaselessly ambush and attack the Peshmerga," Saleh said.
After a two-decade-ceasefire, the PDKI last year resumed armed struggle against Iran in a movement named "Rasan."
Mustafa Hijri, their leader, previously told Kurdistan 24 that the clashes are in self-defense and never an assault on Iranian guards.
Iran, however, maintains that any "opposition activity" is illegal, and indiscriminately shoots “trespassers” and destroys buildings which are suspected Peshmerga safe houses.
The PDKI and IRGC both label each other terrorist organizations. None has been internationally recognized as such, but the United States has recently been debating listing IRGC as an extremist group.
Editing by G.H. Renaud